BREAKING: Referendum 71 poll results

On a call to bloggers a few minutes ago Josh Friedes from the Approve Referendum 71 campaign shared the results of the first poll specifically about referendum 71. The results are a startling contrast to more general polls released by the University of Washington. When voters are read the exact ballot language, 51 percent approve referendum 71 and 44 percent reject referendum 71. The discrepancy may because this new poll looks only at voters likely to cast ballots in the 2009 off year election. As many as half of all voters don’t vote in off year elections, and those who do tend to be more conservative.

Considering the importance of these rights and obligations to so many Washington families it is troubling the race is going to be so close. If referendum 71 is rejected families will lose vital rights that protect families in times of crisis. You need to vote to approve referendum 71 to keep the domestic partnership law.

Clearly the winner of this election will be determined by voter turn out. We need to turn out the vote and encourage our friends, family and neighbors to vote. If would be a tragedy if families in Washington lost protections because people didn’t mail in their ballots.

Josh Friedes said, “In the 2009 election the question isn’t going to be how much support there is for the domestic partnership law, the question is going to be who votes. There is no question in my mind that the majority of Washington voters want their neighbors families to have the protections contained in the domestic partnership law, but if people don’t vote this election is going to be a cliff hanger. People who support protecting all Washington families need to both vote and remind their friends and family that they too must vote in order to insure that families throughout Washington state do not lose the critical protections by Washington’s domestic partnership law. If this law is not approved, families all across Washington state will be harmed.”

The campaign needs their base to participate in the process. They need volunteers every day. There are always ways to help. If you have a spare hour or two, please consider volunteering.

The approve referendum 71 campaign also needs to raise a lot of money for television advertising. Every contribution is vital to the future of the domestic partnership bill. We all need to do our part or Washington families are in serious danger.